Combined sunshade and canopy



April 8, 1958 c. E. MEGENITY commas SUNSHADE AND CANOPY Filed July 2o, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l CurfisE. Megan/7y INVENTOR.

Q BY April 8, 1958 c. E. MEGENITY COMBINED SUNSHADE AND CANOPY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 20, 1956 Curtis E. Megan/1y INVEN TOR Q Q BY United States Patent COMBINED SUNSHADE AND CANOPY Curtis E. Megenity, Richmond, Calif. Application July 20, .1956, Serial No. 599,077

1 Claim. 01. 135-5 My invention relates to improvements in combined sunshades and canopies for sun bathers.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a readily portable collapsible device for setting up on a beach, lawn, roof or the like, to protect as much of the body as may be desired from being too rapidly surburned and which is foldable to collapse the same into a smaller bundle than can be formed with similar devices for the same purpose.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a view in side elevation of my improved sunshade and canopy in a preferred embodiment thereof;

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is an exploded view of the same folded with the cover shown in part only for clearness of illustration;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation of one of a pair of mounting plates for bows forming part of the sunshade and canopy;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view in vertical transverse section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view in vertical transverse section taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 2;

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view in horizontal section taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view in longitudinal section taken on the line 9-9 of Figure l; and

Figure 10 is a plan view on a smaller scale of one of a plurality of fabric strips forming part of the cover and partly broken away and detached and spread out flat.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the combined sunshade and canopy of my invention designated generally by the numeral 1 is of segmental form in outline with open ends 3, 5 either of which is designed to be rested on a beach, floor or roof to dispose the other end upright and comprises as its basic component U-shaped end bows 7, intermediate U-shaped bows 11 and a fabric cover 13 therefor fastened thereto as presently described.

The bows 7, 11 each comprise a pair of side sections 15 cross connected by an arched crown section 17. The side sections 15 of each pair are pivoted by transverse pins 19 to the ends of the crown section 17 and at their other ends by transverse pins 21 to a pair of arcuate mounting plates 23. Lockingsleeves 25 are slidable on the side sections 15 over the pins 19 to lock the side sections 15 and crown section 17 of each bow against pivoting on the pins 19. The bows, 7, 11 are swingable relatively on the pins 21 into fan-like arrangement as shown in Figure l to stretch the cover 13 taut. Openings 27 are formed in the cover 13 opposite the pins 19 to 2,829,659 Patented Apr. 8, 1958 expose the locking sleeves 25 for sliding by hand over said pins 19 into locking position and from over said pins 19 into unlocking position. The pins 21 are preferably bolts with cap nuts 29 for locking the bows in fan-like arrangement. The sleeves 25 are of the friction locking type preferably. 1

The cover 13 comprises strips 31 of suitable fabric extending between contiguousbows 7, 11 and havinghems 33, 35 aroundthe bows 7, 1 1. The hems 33 around the end bows 7 are conventional. The hems 35 around the intermediate bows 11 are formed by overlapping contiguous side edges 37 of adjoining strips and stitching said edges 37 together as at 39.

A resilient compression bar 41 is provided for holding the end bows 7 apart to stretch the cover 13 taut. This bar 41 extends inside the sunshade and canopy from one end bow 7 to the other with reduced shouldered ends 43 inserted through slots 45 in the hems 33 into slots 47 in the crown sections 17 of the end bows 7. The compression bar 41 is longer than the distance between the crown sections 17 of the end bows 7 when the cover 13 is taut so that it springs outwardly against the hems 35 of the intermediate bows 11 as shown in broken lines in Figure 1 to hold said end bows in fan-like arrangement and the cover 13 taut. The compression bar 41 is removable by removing its ends 43 out of the slots 47. As shown in Figure 3, the compression bar 41 is provided with a central hinge 49 so that it may be folded upon itself to shorten the same.

As will be apparent, the bows 7, 11 are swingable on the pins 21 into side-by'-side parallel relation to partly fold the sunshade and canopy. To further fold the sunshade and canopy the pins 19 are arranged at right angles to the pins 21. By this arrangement when the bows 7, 11 are folded side by side and the locking sleeves 25 are slid into unlocking position, the side sections 13 together with the mounting plates 23 may he swung inwardly toward the crown sections 17 in end to end spaced relation as shown in Figure 3. Thus, the bows 7, 11 are completely folded into substantially a crescent shaped arrangement. Preferably when the bows 7, 11 are folded first into parallel side-by-side relation the cover 13 is tucked in between said bows so that when the bows are completely folded the cover 13 will be disposed within' the confines of the crown sections 17 and the side sections 15. The compression bar 41 when folded upon itself as shown in Figure 3 may be arranged on top of or alongside the folded bows 7, 11 and cover 13 to form therewith a compact small bundle. The manner in which the bows '7, 11 and cover 13 may be unfolded will be clear without detailed description.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A canopy of segmental shape in outline for shading sunbathers from the sun comprising a pair of side plates, a flexible cover, a pair of end bows and intermediate bows attached to and supporting said cover, said bows comprising arched crown sections having opposite ends and side sections pivoted to said plates for swinging of the bows into fanwise arrangement to stretch the cover taut and for swinging into substantially parallel relation to partly fold said canopy, said side sections being of like length and pivoted to the ends of said crown sections for swinging thereon into said crown sections to further thereon over the pivots of the side sections to the crown sections to prevent swinging of the side sections into the crown sections, said cover having openings therein opposite and exposing said sleeves to view for access to said sleeves from the exterior of said canopy for sliding of the sleeves, said side sections being of a length to swing on their pivots to the ends of the crown sections into said crown sections with side sections on corresponding ends of the crown sections in end-to-end spaced relation to the side sections on the other ends of the crown sections, whereby to avoid interference between said side sections when the canopy is further folded.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Winslow Mar. 5, Forbriger Apr. 15, Canfield July 1, Weiss Aug. 18, Bonnet June 21, Dabney Dec. 23, Pelton Apr. 3,

FOREIGN PATENTS Australia May 12, France Jan. 31, 

